The ASEAN Agriculture Summit is less than a week away, and many have already signed up for the monumental business event that will spotlight Agribusiness as the Gamechanger Towards Prosperity for All. If you’re still on the fence about attending the event, here are three reasons why you should go:

1) Discover top trends and innovations shaking up the agri sector
The ASEAN Agriculture Summit will be a first for the region wherein the public and private sector will gather together to share their insights on this integral sector. Here, the most important and relevant happenings in agriculture will be put forward, and you as the delegate will be the first to be in the know.

2) Learn from the greatest minds in agribusiness
The four forums will be jam-packed with panelists from all over the ASEAN who will impart both technical knowledge on agriculture and business advice for agripreneurs. With the wealth of knowledge our diverse panel will offer, delegates will be primed to position themselves for success!

3) We are still accepting WALK-INS
If you missed the registration deadline, don’t worry! We are still accepting walk-ins on the day of the event. Just prepare your delegate fee of Php1,500 and a valid ID.

Be part of the ASEAN’s vision for prosperity for all and join the ASEAN Agriculture Summit on October 4, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

Back in 1985, the agricultural sector contributed 24.6% to the country’s economy according to the World Bank. 30 years later, in 2015, it significantly dropped to only 9%. We used to export more than we import in the same sector, but now it’s the other way around. This is happening in a time where 11.9 million people or 29% of those employed in the Philippines are in this line of work. As huge of a figure as it might seem to be, we still used to have more.

People are becoming less interested in this sector without realizing the possibility of success not just in agriculture per se, but also in agribusiness. We claim to be a predominantly agricultural country but are we really making the most out of our resources and exerting effort to add value to them?

The Philippines has been walking and living with agriculture for as long as we all can remember, but why are we not where we want to be? Could it be because we are individually taking the wrong steps, or because we are not making any at all? To get on the track to success in agribusiness, here’s a few steps you might want to take:

Step 1: Realign your mindset and values
Before taking big leaps, make sure to be at the right starting point, with a destination in mind. A healthy mindset, values, and attitudes towards agribusiness are essential in achieving and sustaining success. If fueled with the right elements, then success is already one step closer.

Step 2: Learn the proper production techniques
To make the most out of what is available, it’s important to get familiar with efficient ways or processes to add more value to raw produce. What would work for one type of agribusiness wouldn’t work for all, so it’s vital to find out what techniques would suit your sector.

Step 3: Consult and Ask Questions
The doors of growth and learning are shut when we begin to think that we already know everything about something. To be a step closer to success, it’s important to consult, inquire, and look through the eyes of another. The best people to ask for directions are those who have gone through the same road.

Step 4: Be part of a community of fellow Agripreneurs
Being surrounded and supported with people who have the same vision helps in moving forward despite adversities. This allows for inclusive growth, and partnerships that would nurture each other.

To help agripreneurs take these steps and help improve productivity and quality through new technologies, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council presents the ASEAN Agriculture Summit 2017: Agribusiness as the Gamechanger Towards Prosperity for All. The summit packed with forums on the most pertinent topics relating to agribusiness will feature the top agribusiness leaders and thought-leaders in the agriculture sector. Merging both public and private perspectives on the future of agribusiness and its impact on the regional bloc, the ASEAN Agriculture Summit will go into detail on the current ecosystem pervading this vital sector in order to help agripreneurs figure out how to position themselves for success in a rapidly developing sector.

The summit will be held on October 4, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Register now at www.aseanagrisummit.com

The ASEAN Business Advisory Council, in partnership with the Philippine Department of Agriculture, will hold the ASEAN Agriculture Summit at the SMX Convention Center, Manila with the overarching theme of “Agripreneurship: The Gamechanger Towards Prosperity for All” on October 4, 2017. The event will be held in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture’s Agrilink: 24th International Agribusiness Exhibition and Seminars from October 5 to 7 at World Trade Center, Manila.

The ASEAN Agriculture Summit is an initiative of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council as its first step forward to bring together and mobilize key ecosystem stakeholders into crafting and actualizing an integrated framework for agripreneurship that is integral to achieving prosperity for all. The summit will focus on informing, inspiring and connecting ASEAN agri ecosystem stakeholders toward adopting and supporting the modernization and industrialization of agriculture thru agripreneurship as a sustainable strategy to alleviate poverty, accelerate growth, and promote rural development throughout the region.

Discussants, reactors policy makers in government, and enablers from the private sector will internalize their roles in this dynamic journey toward achieving prosperity for all by sharing their success stories and challenges as agro enterprises with ongoing business within ASEAN and beyond. And through the summit, they will help initiate the establishment of a regional experts group on agriculture focused on entrepreneurship.

The summit proper will be composed of engaging forums and presentations on the most pertinent subjects in agripreneurship. Speakers will include Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and ASEAN-BAC Chair Mr. Joey Concepcion, Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Executive Director of Center for Food and Agri (CFA) Business in the University of Asia and the Pacific and the Vice President of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Dr. Rolando Dy, and Former Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and the President of Inang Lupa Foundation Dr. William Dar. Senator Cynthia Villar will also grace the event as an honorable guest.

The four forums will feature thoughtleaders on agripreneurship from the across the ASEAN and beyond. They will tackle the topics of Small Farm Holdings and Land Consolidation in Agri Enterprise Development, The Agri Value Chain and Value-Added Agri Extension Services, Enabling Environment for Inclusive Business, and Leveraging on Technology and Innovation.